Sewing Machine Operators pay range in Merced
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,710 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,360 or more. The middle half of sewing machine operators in Merced earn between $40,630 and $40,630.
- $38K10th
- $41K25th
- $41KMedian
- $41K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $42,110 | $3,509 | $20.25 |
| Median | $40,630 | $3,386 | $19.53 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $40,630 | $3,386 | $19.53 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $40,630 | $3,386 | $19.53 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Sewing Machine Operators salary after taxes in Merced
On the average salary of $42,110, a single filer in Merced takes home about $35,195 a year, or $2,933 a month and $1,354 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Merced a good place for sewing machine operators? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Merced area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.3), so the average $42,110 buys what about $42,849 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Merced ($47,220). A typical home costs $419,171, or 10.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Sewing Machine Operators salary in other California cities
Merced ranks 9th of 17 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($47,860).
- San Jose$47,860
- Santa Cruz$47,460
- San Francisco$46,380
- Napa$44,590
- Stockton$43,670
- Oxnard$42,660
- San Luis Obispo$42,480
- Sacramento$42,310
- Merced$42,110
- Santa Rosa$41,780
Highest-paying cities for sewing machine operators
Appleton, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($51,830).
- Appleton, WI$51,830
- Bend, OR$47,980
- San Jose, CA$47,860
- Santa Cruz, CA$47,460
- San Francisco, CA$46,380
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Sewing Machine Operators salary in Merced: questions
How much do sewing machine operators make an hour in Merced?
$20.25 an hour on average, and $19.53 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level sewing machine operators salary in Merced?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,710 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,630, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the sewing machine operators take-home pay in Merced?
About $35,195 a year ($2,933 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $42,110. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do sewing machine operators earn more in Merced than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,562).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-6031; area Merced, CA (32900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.57, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.57).
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